School staff suggests $22 million county funding request

Published: Monday, April 29, 2013 at 9:35 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, April 29, 2013 at 9:35 p.m.

School administrators recommended Monday that the Henderson County school board ask the county for $22 million for fiscal year 2013-14, about $870,800 more than allocated this year.

During the board's budget workshop at Mills River Academy, Finance Director Kerry Shannon outlined a draft budget asking the county for $21.07 million for local current expense, a 1.7 percent increase over 2012-13, and $1 million for capital needs, double what was requested last year.

"There's a lot more we could spend on our children that would be justified, but where we are with our economy, it's hard to do it," acknowledged Board Chairman Ervin Bazzle.

The school board is not expected to vote on its budget request until its next meeting on May 13. State law requires the board to submit an appropriations request to the county by May 15, Shannon said.

About $300,000 of the requested capital funds would go to buy 1,006 computers and related hardware for online testing mandated by the state within the next two years, said Rick Fender, the district's senior director for technology services.

"That's the driving force behind it, but there would be greater benefits realized by putting more computers in the hands of our elementary and middle school students," he said.

Another $133,000 would fund school safety improvements, including electronic access doors and video cameras at all elementary and middle school entrances, said Assistant Superintendent Bill Parker.

Parker said the remaining $567,000 would go toward changing out two antiquated boilers at Edneyville Elementary School, replacing air conditioning at West Henderson High, re-roofing East Henderson High's chorus room and upgrading that school's stadium lights to meet N.C. High School Athletic Association minimum standards.

Part of the requested increase in local current expense is the school system's "best guess" as to what will be necessary locally to match Gov. Pat McCrory's proposed 1 percent raise for state employees in 2013-14, Shannon said.

"Any raise that the state approves, we have to extend those increases not only to state-paid employees but to locally employed employees," Shannon said. "We have to try to anticipate what the state is going to do."

About 79 classroom teachers are funded exclusively by the county. Shannon said the district uses state allotments to cover high-paid, more experienced teachers, and newer teachers are funded with local dollars.

Another $140,789 of the requested increase would fund a 2 percent hike in local supplements for school psychologists, speech therapists, lead teachers, instructional coaches and administrators, who did not get a boost in their supplements over the last two budget cycles when other staff saw raises.

In 2011-12, county commissioners gave a 2 percent raise to classroom teachers, teacher assistants and "librarians" having direct student contact. This year, the school board recommended that all non-certified employees get the same increase, but raises in supplements for administrators, lead teachers and other core staff were not funded.

A majority of school board members characterized that as a wrong needing to be righted.

"I'm pretty sick of that class of our employees being left out, like they're not as important as the rest of our group of employees," said board member Amy Lynn Holt. "In fact, a good amount of that are people who are there until 10 o'clock at night and back in again at 6 o'clock in the morning, making our schools run. That's pretty much non-negotiable for me."

Capital needs

Edneyville Elementary's two oil-fired furnaces have had multiple repairs and need to be replaced at a cost of $100,000, Parker said, adding that converting them to propane will make the school more energy- and cost-efficient. West Henderson's "chiller" is also "on borrowed time," he said. That fix will cost $267,000.

Several years ago, the schools began installing security locks on all classroom doors so they can be locked from the inside with a key, "should there be a perpetrator in the building," Parker said. The capital budget includes $53,000 to complete that project.

Electronic locks on front doors at elementary and middle schools, along with video cameras, would allow personnel to better control who can enter those campuses during school hours, he said.

Superintendent David Jones emphasized those weren't the only capital improvements that would be tackled in 2013-14, just the ones for which the county is being asked to contribute local dollars.

<p>School administrators recommended Monday that the Henderson County school board ask the county for $22 million for fiscal year 2013-14, about $870,800 more than allocated this year.</p><p>During the board's budget workshop at Mills River Academy, Finance Director Kerry Shannon outlined a draft budget asking the county for $21.07 million for local current expense, a 1.7 percent increase over 2012-13, and $1 million for capital needs, double what was requested last year.</p><p>"There's a lot more we could spend on our children that would be justified, but where we are with our economy, it's hard to do it," acknowledged Board Chairman Ervin Bazzle. </p><p>The school board is not expected to vote on its budget request until its next meeting on May 13. State law requires the board to submit an appropriations request to the county by May 15, Shannon said.</p><p>About $300,000 of the requested capital funds would go to buy 1,006 computers and related hardware for online testing mandated by the state within the next two years, said Rick Fender, the district's senior director for technology services. </p><p>"That's the driving force behind it, but there would be greater benefits realized by putting more computers in the hands of our elementary and middle school students," he said. </p><p>Another $133,000 would fund school safety improvements, including electronic access doors and video cameras at all elementary and middle school entrances, said Assistant Superintendent Bill Parker.</p><p>Parker said the remaining $567,000 would go toward changing out two antiquated boilers at Edneyville Elementary School, replacing air conditioning at West Henderson High, re-roofing East Henderson High's chorus room and upgrading that school's stadium lights to meet N.C. High School Athletic Association minimum standards.</p><p>Part of the requested increase in local current expense is the school system's "best guess" as to what will be necessary locally to match Gov. Pat McCrory's proposed 1 percent raise for state employees in 2013-14, Shannon said.</p><p>"Any raise that the state approves, we have to extend those increases not only to state-paid employees but to locally employed employees," Shannon said. "We have to try to anticipate what the state is going to do."</p><p>About 79 classroom teachers are funded exclusively by the county. Shannon said the district uses state allotments to cover high-paid, more experienced teachers, and newer teachers are funded with local dollars. </p><p>Another $140,789 of the requested increase would fund a 2 percent hike in local supplements for school psychologists, speech therapists, lead teachers, instructional coaches and administrators, who did not get a boost in their supplements over the last two budget cycles when other staff saw raises. </p><p>In 2011-12, county commissioners gave a 2 percent raise to classroom teachers, teacher assistants and "librarians" having direct student contact. This year, the school board recommended that all non-certified employees get the same increase, but raises in supplements for administrators, lead teachers and other core staff were not funded.</p><p>A majority of school board members characterized that as a wrong needing to be righted.</p><p>"I'm pretty sick of that class of our employees being left out, like they're not as important as the rest of our group of employees," said board member Amy Lynn Holt. "In fact, a good amount of that are people who are there until 10 o'clock at night and back in again at 6 o'clock in the morning, making our schools run. That's pretty much non-negotiable for me."</p><h3>Capital needs</h3>
<p>Edneyville Elementary's two oil-fired furnaces have had multiple repairs and need to be replaced at a cost of $100,000, Parker said, adding that converting them to propane will make the school more energy- and cost-efficient. West Henderson's "chiller" is also "on borrowed time," he said. That fix will cost $267,000.</p><p>Several years ago, the schools began installing security locks on all classroom doors so they can be locked from the inside with a key, "should there be a perpetrator in the building," Parker said. The capital budget includes $53,000 to complete that project.</p><p>Electronic locks on front doors at elementary and middle schools, along with video cameras, would allow personnel to better control who can enter those campuses during school hours, he said. </p><p>Superintendent David Jones emphasized those weren't the only capital improvements that would be tackled in 2013-14, just the ones for which the county is being asked to contribute local dollars.</p>